In a shared acoustic space, such as the passenger compartment of an automobile, for example, various passengers (including the driver) may participate in a variety of activities each having their own acoustical accompaniments. For example, a driver may be listening to navigation commands and alert for auditory traffic cues while also enjoying classical music while a second passenger is engaged in a mobile phone conversation, a third passenger is enjoying an audio/video presentation (with images and sound), and a fourth passenger in the front row of the vehicle is enjoying a conversation with a fifth passenger in a third-row seat. However, all of these different activities may have accompanying sounds that are competing with each other in the shared acoustic space as well as competing with other sources of noise (e.g., other ambient noise present in the vehicle which may be in closer proximity to or between the front seat passenger and the third-row seat passenger, as well as other sources of noise common to a moving vehicle, e.g., engine noise, road noise, traffic noise, etc.) and/or the physical limitations of the environment (e.g., the distance between the parties and the orientation of the front seat passenger away from the third-row seat passenger, as well as the uncomfortable and unsafe turning of the body and head of the front seat passenger towards the back of the vehicle).